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Enjoy a Healthy Salad as a Meal

From Shereen Jegtvig

Anatomy of a Healthy Salad

Salads are usually served at the beginning of a meal, but a salad can also make a healthy meal all alone. Salads can be low-calorie, and when you use lots of fruits and vegetables, they are loaded with vitamins and anti-oxidants. The key to keeping salads interesting is to change the ingredients each time. Don't just think of the simple garden salad, but imagine adding fruits, nuts and meats to your salad to make a great low calorie, highly nutritious meal.

How Much Salad is Enough for a Meal?

Use my Nutrition and Calorie Need Guides to determine how many calories you need per day, and divide that number of calories by the number meals you want to eat for the day. If you are eating 2000 calories per day, you might want to allow yourself 500 calories per each of three meals, and allow 500 for extra snacks, or you might want a lighter breakfast and a larger dinner depending how you feel.

A dieter who is eating 1300 to 1500 calories per day might want a smaller salad, maybe 300 to 400 calories. Keeping a food diary is a good way to keep track of your calories and nutrition.

Greens

Most salads start with a pile of greens. Since greens are very low in calories, and are a good source of fiber, this is a great way to add volume to your meal without adding a lot of calories. There are different varieties of lettuce, such as iceberg lettuce, leaf lettuce, spinach, escarole, romaine, and butter lettuce. The darker lettuces offer more vitamins than the pale iceberg lettuce, spinach has iron, and all varieties are low in calories. One cup of shredded lettuce has about five or ten calories.

Vegetables

Most any raw vegetable can be cut up and added to a salad. Green beans, snap peas, carrots, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, asparagus, artichokes, avocados, tomatoes and cucumbers are all great suggestions. We need five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day, so here is a good way to meet those needs. Brightly colored vegetables have bioflavonoids and the dark green vegetables are lowest in calories, about 20 calories per one-half cup serving.

Fruit

Fruit can add a nice twist of flavor to a salad. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apple slices, pear slices and raisins add vitamins, anti-oxidants and a delicious burst of flavor and sweetness, which means you can cut back, or eliminate high calorie salad dressings. One-half cup of apple slices has 30 calories, and one-half cup of berries have about 40 calories.

Meat and Cheese

To make a meal of a salad, you may wish to add some healthy protein sources like chopped or sliced hard boiled eggs, lean beef, cooked shrimp, tuna, chicken breast, or pieces of cheese. Make sure to measure your protein sources, since meats and cheese have more calories than fruit or vegetables. Avoid fried meats like "chicken strips" or shrimp fried in batters. One-quarter cup of chopped chicken meat, or one egg will add 75 calories. One-half can of tuna will add about 80 calories. Two ounces of mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese may add up to 200 calories.

Nuts

Sprinkle a few nuts like walnuts, pecans, almonds or cashews for a nice touch. Just a few nuts will do, about one-eighth cup of nuts adds about 90 calories. Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 essential fatty acids and all of the nuts add protein and heart-healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Salad Dressing

One tablespoon of regular commercial salad dressing will add from 50 to 80 calories, so be careful to measure how much you use. A large salad like this may tempt you to use a lot more, just remember that one-quarter cup of dressing could may add up to 300 calories. There are low fat dressings available, which offer fewer calories, but they may not taste as good. A salad with lots of varieties of fruits and vegetables really doesn't need any dressing, or maybe some freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice will be enough to suit your taste.

Example Salad

Here is a great example of a delicious healthy salad:

two cups of green leaf lettuce
one-forth cup raw green beans
one-forth cup snap peas
one-forth cup chopped tomato
one-forth cup sliced carrots
one-forth cup apple slices
one-forth cup blueberries
one-forth cup chopped chicken breast
one chopped hard boiled egg
one ounce of shredded mozzarella cheese
one-eighth cup walnut pieces
lemon and lime wedges

This salad would have lots of vitamins, antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber, and comes in at just under 400 calories. Serve this salad with a glass of iced-herbal tea or a big glass of sparkling water with lemon.

Salads can be changed and adapted to any diet. Choose low carb green vegetables for low carb diets and use low-fat or no dressing for low-fat diets. Choose the lowest calorie ingredients if you are watching your calories. Keep lots of salad fruits and vegetables on hand and you can create salads several times per week. Change the ingredients to create completely different flavors, and you will never get bored with healthy salad meals.

T H E R A I N B O W S A L A D

The rainbow salad consists of the 6 basic colors of the rainbow.

1. Dark emerald greens such as spinach, kale, romaine etc.

2. Purple/red bib lettuce

3. Red/yellow/orange bell peppers

4. Cherry tomatoes

5. Raisins

6. Red onions

7. Cucumbers

8. Head lettuce

Be sure not to use carrots with raisins, raisins block the beta carotene in carrots. A good presentation is to layer the vegetables in a glass bowl so that you get a visual of the rainbow.

You can either pick up a dressing at the whole food store by Annie's Naturals; Poppy seed is good or you can make a vinaigrette with extra virgin olive cold pressed (raw) + raw apple cider vinegar + fresh dill + raw Agava.

Mexican Corn Salad

SUBMITTED BY: Barrett

"I'm not sure if this recipe should be called a salad or a salsa, but it sure is good when made with sweet corn. Try it and decide for yourself."

Original recipe yield:
4 servings

PREP TIME
10 Min
COOK TIME
10 Min
READY IN
46 Min

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups whole corn kernels, cooked
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup salsa
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. In a heavy large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the corn, bell pepper, zucchini, green onions and jalapeno pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and refrigerate vegetables until chilled.

2. Add salsa and chopped cilantro to vegetable mixture. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste.

THE BIG SALAD

Big flavors, big benefits. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and fiber—not to mention color, crunch and great taste—starting a meal with this salad is a healthy habit you could really live with.

Makes 6 servings, 2 1/3 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons Mustard-Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup cauliflower florets, coarsely chopped
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
12 cups mixed salad greens
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
2. Prepare Mustard-Balsamic Vinaigrette.
3. Combine chickpeas, onion, bell pepper, carrots, cauliflower and olives in a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette; toss to coat. Toss greens with the remaining 2 tablespoons vinaigrette in a large bowl. Divide among 6 plates and top with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with feta and the walnuts. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

Per serving: 210 calories; 11 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 8 g protein; 7 g fiber; 393 mg sodium; 531 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (140% daily value), Vitamin C (140% dv), Folate (38% dv), Fiber (30% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Servings

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Copyright, 2005, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Out of Exile

2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper hot sauce (or other hot sauce), plus more to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 hearts Romaine, cut into 1-inch strips (about 8 cups)
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 carrots, coarsely grated
2 scallions, green part only, sliced
1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing, recipe follows
Preheat the broiler. Put the chicken between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound with a mallet or hammer so the chicken is an even thickness of about 3/4-inch, then cut the chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. In a large bowl, combine the hot sauce and the oil, add chicken and toss until the chicken is well coated. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and broil until it is cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes, turning once.
In a large bowl combine the Romaine, celery, shredded carrots and scallions. Toss with the dressing. Divide the greens between 4 plates, top with the chicken. Serve with extra hot sauce.
Blue Cheese Dressing:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fold a full sheet of paper towel into quarters and put it into a small bowl. Spoon the yogurt onto the paper towel and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to drain and thicken. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and thickened yogurt into the mayonnaise until smooth. Add the vinegar and sugar and continue to whisk until all the ingredients are well combined. Stir in the blue cheese and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Yield: 3/4 cup
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per Serving Calories: 256
Total Fat: 10 grams Saturated Fat: 3 grams
Protein: 31 grams Carbohydrates: 10 grams
Fiber: 4 grams

Black Bean Salad

Submitted by: Merle Shinpoch

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Ready In: 20 Minutes
Yields: 12 servings

"This salad is a kaleidoscope of color and taste - black beans, yellow corn, green peppers, and red, red tomatoes. Lime juice, garlic and jalapeno give it some punch."

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and

drained

2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained

8 green onions, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced

1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos

3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime, juiced

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, green onions, jalapeno peppers, bell pepper, avocado, pimentos, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and Italian dressing. Season with garlic salt. Toss, and chill until serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Servings Per Recipe: 12

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 178

Total Fat: 8.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 420mg
Total Carbs: 24.3g
Dietary Fiber: 5.5g
Protein: 5g

Just Peachy Smoothies

4 (1-cup servings)

Prep: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups sliced fresh peaches, nectarines, and/or apricots
1 cup fat-free milk
1 6-ounce carton peach fat-free yogurt with no-calorie sweetener
1 cup small ice cubes or crushed ice

Directions

1. In a blender, combine fruit, milk, and yogurt. Cover and blend until smooth.

2. Gradually add ice through hole in lid, blending until almost smooth. If desired, garnish each serving with fresh fruit. Makes 4 (1-cup) servings.

Double Blue Berry Smoothies: Prepare Just Peachy Smoothies as directed through Step 2, except substitute blueberry yogurt for peach yogurt and 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries and 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries for peaches.

Double Red Berry Smoothies: Prepare Just Peachy Smoothies as directed through Step 2, except substitute strawberry yogurt for peach yogurt and 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen sliced strawberries and 1/2 cup fresh or frozen red raspberries for peaches.

Fruit Smoothie Pops: Prepare peach, blue berry, or red berry mixtures as directed through Step 1. Omit ice. Pour mixture into 14 compartments of freezer pop molds. (Or pour into 3-ounce paper or plastic cups. Cover with foil. Make a slit in the foil of each. Add sticks.) Freeze for 4 to 6 hours or until firm. Makes 14 pops.

Prepare pops as directed; freeze for up to 1 week.